My PH has asked if I could bring him a couple of boxes of .366 Barnes TSX bullets when I head to Namibia next week. Will there be any problems with the TSA goofballs on this? Will they try to count them against my 11-pound ammo limit?

The 11lb./5kg. allowance is an airline-imposed limit, not a TSA reg.

Bullets are not ammunition, and should not count against the above allowance.
You should contact the airline directly for an authoritative statement on the subject.

George

I actually almost have the same question If I would ever set my foot in the states and buy bullets and brass there could I bring it back to South Africa with me?

I have taken reloading components to RSA PH/outfitters in 2003,2005,2006.

Neither TSA or the airlines have ever mentioned it [though TSA did want to look in my duffle after the X-ray]

I have declared the "reloading components" to RSA customs and never been questioned at all. Johannesburg Airport Security did not say a word about "ammo" though they did not let a bag containing "components" through security [even though SAA said "no problem - go ahead"]

Les

[Edited to clarify that I am not a complete idiot attempting to carry on "ammo" in Johannesburg! My SAA flight to Johannesburg was late arriving and when checking in for my flight to Port Elizabeth SAA said "Your Late!!! Hurry you MUST fly on that airplane or we don't know how you will get there!" BUT they refused to check my bags, even after I said "This bag will not go through security!" "Don't worry it will be fine - we'll go with you!" Needless to say the bag containing boxes of bullets did not go through - missed the flight - and since my USA issued discount ticket was "Non - endorseable" SAA refused to put me on another airline. Waited several hours for another SAA flight.]

I am with LHowell,
it is a term problem. I think that if you put them in the bag and delare components (an absolutely generic word) there is no problem, different is if some "Key" word is used like bullets, part of cartridge/ammo, etc.

The Italian border of Naples (Italy)stopped two boxes of bullets because the translator wrote part of cartridge/ammo. They pretend that the owner goes there to demonstrate that there were nothing of dangerous. 1800 km of round trip for something like 50/60 US Dollars. Probably they are still there

Juts put bullets in your checked luggage and carry on....I don't see how it could be an issue, knives aren't. I take knives all the time in checked luggage.

I would not, however, put them in my carry on! Thats inviting crap!

Steve is totally right....semantics play a huge role!!! Don't say 'bullets', thats obviously going to create issues, hell, some shooters think 'bullets' are cartridges and bullets are 'heads'.

On some airlines if I say kayak, they shit their pants...I say surf ski, they they look confused and send it through.......

DON'T put bullets or any other component in your carry on. The TSA folks will wet their pants. A friend with the Denver Police Department works at the Denver IAP. He has shown me items the TSA have confiscated, sealed boxes of bullets and other items from the carry on bags. I saw a big box of knives they'd confiscated from passengers, also.

Bill,

In theory there is not reason that you can't take components (bullets and cases only)in your luggage and not have it count against your 5kg ammo allowance. What I think I would do is get a letter from an airline supewrvisor saying it was alright. If you don't do this I think there is a good chance that some over zealous airline counter person might give you a great deal of grief when trying to check in.

Mark

A dose of reality here...an export permit from the state dept is required for any item on the munitions list...and that includes brass, bullets, ammo, guns, gun parts, military style scopes, etc etc...everything except spent shotshell casings and sporting shotguns with bbls over 18".

I had a 168 gr. Sierra Match King that Lons Wigger gave me after a Palma match that I carried everyday in my pocket. The TSA in Boise, Id. confiscated it and wouldn't give it back even after I ask if I could mail it home. A single bullet! Made me so mad I couldn't see straight! You can't trust anyone or bank on anything at todays airports.

IMHO : Cerebral Onanism or, if you prefer, mental masturbation of bureucrats.

At the end the solution can be this, if you have space enough in the rifle bag put the bullet boxes there, they will pass all the inspections beeing in a controlled bag.

I always take an assortment of "loaded components" with me everyyear when I travel over. They work as great barter and there will be no problems inn getting them in. At least in my experiences.

I have taken bullets and unprimed cases many time to my PH without problem..I put them in my suitcase and don't say anything about them, the worse that can happen is confiscation, so be it...Never had a problem.

Naturally it should be said not to take primers and powder, but you might be surprised how many folks would think my above statement would include them..DO NOT TAKE PRIMERS AND POWDER.

BLack Powder can be purchased in RSA and perhaps in Zimbabwe. Not in Tanzania that I know of.

The worst thing that happened to me was bringing back my empty brass from Tanzania, which I had done many times. This particular Customs official got very indignant, but rather than argue with him I pleaded to him that these were the rounds that I had shot and I intended to cut the heads off and make buttons for my Safari coat to remember my hunt and that I would be more than glad to buy his mother some tea. All went well, he loved the idea of buttons from 470 cases, and I gave him 6 cases and ten bucks for his poor mothers tea..

I saw him several years ago upon my arrival and he ran up to me and shook my hand for about 10 minutes and you would have thought he was a long lost brother, he remembered my name, and rushed me past customs, got another ten bucks and my best praise, such is the indigenous of Africa. I guess that is why I love that place, particularly Dar es Salaam.

Ray: Great story. I'm so glad to have you back in the "family."

This is sort of a long story but here goes.

On our way out of the country in 2005 after spending 30 days filming in the Chifuti camp, Dave Fulson, Tim Danklef, Craig Boddington, his daughter and I arrive via charter in Harare to find out SAA was on strike and nobody was going home just yet. Three days of loading all of our gear each morning and sitting on our asses at the airport all day later we FINALLY get a flight out. I was the first one ticketed.

We go through security and when I handed the security agent my passport he looked up at me with those beady little black eyes and picked up the phone. I heard my last name repeated back to him on the line. He hangs up the phone and asks me to wait off to the side. Another security officer, this one in a suit, comes in and asks me to follow him into another room. At this point I'm starting to get a little worried.

Craig steps forward and asks what the problem is. The officer tells them he needs to question me. He then tells the officer nobody is questioning me without one of our party present. Now I'm scared.

We go into the room and the officer asks me if I have any illegal contraband in my checked baggage. I tell him no. He asks again, I reply the same. He then starts threatening me, saying if I had anything illegal in my bag it could result in jail time. Again, I tell him I'm not aware of anything illegal in my checked bag. This goes on for ten minutes.

He then asks me if there is any ammo in my bag. I say no, I was filming hunts, not hunting. We go back and forth on this for another minute or two and he gets up and says follow me. Craig and I follow him down into the gut of the airport where the baggage is handled. There is a guy standing with all of our bags. He points one of them out. The officer asks if that is my bag, I say no it's not. He asks again, I reply the same. He then points out that it is tagged with my name. I take a look at the tag, sure enough it has my name on it. So do everyone one of our bags! It turns out the bag in question was Tim's. They call upstairs and have Tim escorted down where upon his arrival they open the bag and dig a very, very old .375 H & H spent case out of a pair of shorts he had been wearing on the last day of hunting. It seems Tim found this old case and picked it up, then put it in his shorts.

Now, the officer says he can confiscate it and we can continue on our way. All that for a friggin spent case. To say I was just a little bit pissed is an understatement. What a bunch of crap.

So, take reloading components over in your bag if you want. As for me, when I'm asked to bring such into the country I politely say, "Kiss my ass!"